Salt Crystals

A salt crystal is an ionic compound in solid form.

Technically

• a salt is a chemical compound formed by replacing all or part of the hydrogen ions of an acid with metal ions
• a crystal is a homogeneous body with the repeating shape of a polyhedron

Most of us think of table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), when we hear the word 'salt', but in chemistry there are many salts. Additionally, we think of glassware or prisms when we hear the word 'crystal'. However, when we speak of salt crystals  in chemistry, we are referring to the solid form of an ionic compound.